Some wiring and the panel is fitted.

Saturday 24th October.

Hi everyone, its raining here so what better time to catch up with the blog.

I've been sneezing a lot today so I do hope its not the onset of a cold. I was filling the water tanks on mine and Pauls boat earlier today and got drenched whilst trying to repair a leak in my water hose, in the pouring rain. Snug and warm now though.

So, how are we doing? I hear you say, well I'll let the pictures tell the story.

As it used to look.......

........ and as it looks now.

 Two pictures don't really show the amount of work that went into installing the new panel. On removing the old panel a mass of wiring was exposed. Some of it was needed and some was redundant. Also, the hole in the bulkhead had to be enlarged so that the 'guts' of the new panel would have somewhere to go.
I removed as much of the redundant wiring as I could, and then last Sunday Paul and I drove Bracken out of the Marina just up the canal and moored against the towpath to use an angle grinder fitted with a cutting disc to enlarge the hole.
Quite a momentous occasion, Bracken moving under its own power!! The first time since taking Bracken to the wharf to have the old engine removed!
I had the panel connected with the 4 metre wiring loom and propped up on a box to be able to start and stop the engine! It took us a couple of hours to enlarge the hole, Paul on the angle grinder and me inside the cabin with a fire extinguisher -just in case! There were sparks flying everywhere!
Once we'd cut the hole big enough we returned to the Marina where over the next few days I proceeded to remove the panelling from below the window to route the thick loom from the engine bay, through a one and a half inch diameter hole in the steel bulkhead, up the inside of the cabin wall and into the cupboard behind the Fusebox and engine panel.
A very messy job as the wall panelling is stuffed with fibreglass insulation which had to be removed and then replaced after the wiring loom was installed.
 

Cupboard behind engine panel contains........

.......Domestic fuses all 12 volt, and the back of the engine instruments.
The thick grey cable at the bottom is the connecting cable to the engine wiring.

Quite a marathon job fitting the new engine panel but it looks good I think.
Still some fiddling to do like sealing round the panel on the outside.Also I still need to set up the throttle and gear linkage as it's still a bit notchy, so I think next job will be to strip down the 'Morse' lever control and give it a good overhaul.
 So, getting there slowly.

A few pics of our resident Kingfisher. This first one I took with my phone camera, the rest were taken by Graham Haygreen.

Mrs Moorhen having a feed.

Sitting on my boat just in front of one of my boxes.

Sitting on Pauls boat. (No its not snowing!)

Well thats about it for now People. Bfn.